Backstage Pass: Alford Media, A History

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On today’s episode of Backstage Pass, MarketScale is joined by with Dan Thompson, Senior Account Manager, who gives us a look at Alford Media through his eyes, as someone who’s been with the company for more 23 years.

Alford Media was founded in 1984, and much has changed since then in terms of technology. When Thompson started in 1996, the products were in the throes of analog, and the peak input for video was component. Digital video was a brand-new concept that people were very excited about, and the world was listening to laser discs and CDs. Video Projection was handled by 3-gun CRT projectors that topped out at 3000 lumens.

35 years later, the company has added another ‘0’ onto that lumens count, has gone to digitally based projection, and digital smart audio that has every component seamlessly networked. While much has changed on the back end, the one thing that has not is how Alford treats its employees, a feeling that Thompson said is “one of the best.”

“Crew First” is the Alford way, which is a term that means a lot of things — first, to pick crew members that are the best and brightest; second, to let them have autonomy in terms of what they would like to do as long as it benefits the customer; third, to support them wholeheartedly in everything that they do, whether it be to have an on-call manager while they are away on service calls, or to help them out when they need someone to walk their dog.

That level of family atmosphere, combined with the freedom that staff have, really contributes to Alford’s success.

“As long as you’re making a move that will benefit the client, the company will back you up on that,” Thompson said.

He also credits the Alford brothers, their leadership, and their ability to choose a superior team with being other unique drivers for success that the company has up its sleeves.

“When you hire the right technical talent and you listen to that technical talent and what those people are seeing in the field, you can stay ahead of the curve,” Thompson said. For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Pro AV Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication. A new episode of the Pro AV Show drops every Thursday.

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